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A year full of health goals

Much of the lack of success in achieving New Year weight loss goals is attributed to having unrealistic expectations from your body and from yourself. There are no shortcuts, no magic pills, and no crash diets that can take you from a hypothetical 60 to 0: Pitting time against your body is not only the surest way that you will regain the weight you have rapidly lost, but it may also lead you to pack on even more kilos. As 2018 sets in, I thought I'd outline more sustainable ways of losing weight. Let's build a more realistic framework for weight loss success this year...

Have the right goals How about you forget the numbers on the scale this year and divert all your attention towards ensuring that you are able to climb a flight of stairs without feeling breathless? Or get rid of your diabetes or hypertension medication once and for all? Weight loss, in absolute number terms, can fluctuate on a daily basis. Constipation, PMS, menstruation, a heavy meal the night before and water retention are the some of the reasons the numbers on your scale can inflate, sometimes by, 2 to 3 kilos. Focus on seeing more tangible changes, like a more toned you, a more active you, a more glowing you. You'll need to eat healthy and exercise to see these changes and your target kilo loss will automatically be achieved.

Yes, portion size matters Eating every two hours, breaking up your four main meals into 6 to 8 meals a day helps tremendously in improving your metabolic rate. This is because, like walking, breathing or even sleeping, digestion burns calories. Smaller meals ensure that you are burning calories more frequently.

Change your lifestyle The notion of 'dieting' usually conjures up images of bland soups, wilting salads and watching your friends scarf down cupcakes while you subsist on water. Not really. Just follow diets that allow all kinds of food - including rice, pasta, mangoes and bread, and even weekly indulgences (if you are maintaining your weight) so that you don't feel deprived.

Make exercise a habit The beauty of lifestyle changes is that it is meant to suit your lifestyle. And how your lifestyle is constructed depends heavily upon you. If you don't have a clear hour to spare for exercise, break up your 60-minute daily exercise routine into two 30-minute slots, three 20-minute ones or even four 15-minute ones. Strap on a pedometer and get your 10,000 steps a day by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking over to your colleagues instead of emailing them, and basically strategising your activity to suit your lifestyle. It's your day, it's your life: make the most of it.